古代奥运会的风采

　　The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. There were fewer events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Also, the games were always held at Olympia instead of moving around to different sites every time.

　　古代奥运会与现代奥运大不相同。项目少，非希腊运动员不得参加，只有说希腊语的自由人方可参加。而且运动会总是在奥林匹亚市举行，而不是每次都换不同地方。

　　Like our Olympics, though, winning athletes were heroes who put their home towns on the map. One young Athenian nobleman defended his political reputation by mentioning how he entered seven chariots in the Olympic chariot-race. This high number of entries made both the aristocrat and Athens look very wealthy and powerful.

　　像我们现代奥运一样，获胜运动员是使自己家乡扬名四海的英雄。一个年轻的雅典政治家通过告诉人们他如何七次在马车赛中获胜而保住了自己的政治名声，参加人数之多显示出希腊贵族和雅典人的财富与强大。

Boxing

　　Ancient boxing had fewer rules than the modern sport. Boxers fought without rounds until one man was knocked out, or admitted he had been beaten. Unlike the modern sport, there was no rule against hitting an opponent when he was down.

　　There were no weight classes within the mens\' and boys\' divisions; opponents for a match were chosen randomly.

　　Instead of gloves, ancient boxers wrapped leather thongs (himantes) around their hands and wrists which left their fingers free.

　　Plato makes fun of boxers\' faces, calling them the "folk with the battered ears."

拳击

　　古代拳击赛的规则比现代要少。拳击运动员不分轮次地进行打斗，直到一方主动认输或被击倒为止。不像现代拳击运动一样，古代运动员可以在对手倒下后继续发起攻击。

　　在成年男子组和少年组当中不分什么重量级轻量级，比赛的参加人随便选出。

古代运动员不戴拳击套，而用软牛皮裹住手和手腕，露出手指。

　　柏拉图取笑拳击者的脸部，称之"残耳的居民".

Chariot racing

马车赛

　　有双马马车和四马马车，由小马拉着参加不同的比赛。另外一个比赛是由一队骡子拉着的四轮车赛，总长度相当于围着体育馆跑12圈（九英里）。

Riding

　　The course was 6 laps around the track (4.5 miles), and there were separate races for full-grown horses and foals. Jockeys rode without stirrups.

　　Only wealthy people could afford to pay for the training, equipment, and feed of both the driver (or jockey) and the horses. As a result, the owner received the olive wreath of victory instead of the driver or jockey.

骑马

　　这个项目的长度是绕跑道6圈（4.5英里），成年马与驹马参加不同的比赛。职业骑师不需要马镫。

　　只有富人才能供得起训练、设备和马与骑师的费用。因此，只是主人才获得获胜的橄榄花环，而骑师得不到。

　　喜剧作家Aristophanes描写了对马有高品位的儿子的父亲的苦恼："债主们要把我活吞下去了……都是因为马惹的祸。（Aristophanes,《云彩》，1.240ff）

Pankration

　　Rules outlawed only biting and gouging an opponent\'s eyes, nose, or mouth with fingernails. Attacks such as kicking an opponent in the belly, which are against the rules in modern sports, were perfectly legal.

　　Like boxing and wrestling, among others, this event had separate divisions for both men and boys.

　　The poet Xenophanes describes the pankration as "that new and terrible contest...of all holds" (Xenophanes 2)

混斗

　　是一个合并拳击与摔跤的严厉项目。允许重击，尽管打斗者不用拳击比赛时所用的软牛皮条包住手。

　　用指甲抓对手的眼睛、鼻子、嘴或者是咬人属于犯规。

　　类似于用脚踢对手的腹部的攻击，尽管在现代体育运动中是犯规的，但在过去则完全合乎法律。

　　像拳击、摔跤及其它比赛一样，这个项目分为成年男子组及少年男子组。诗人Xenophanes把混斗描写成"各种比赛中新而残酷的决斗"。